Background: The physiological role of the CD36 molecule in pediatric heart disease has not been fully investigated.
Methods and results: The CD36 antigen in platelets and monocytes was measured by flow cytometry in 189 patients with various heart diseases; 15 (7.9%) had a diagnosis of CD36 deficiency (type I: 2[1 boy, 1 girl], type II: 13 [6 boys, 7 girls]). The prevalence in each heart disease was as follows: group A (congenital heart disease) 7.6% (9/118, type II: 9 [6 boys, 3 girls]); group B (myocardial disease) 20.0% (3/15, I: 1 girl, II: 2[1 boy, 1 girl]), group C (Kawasaki disease) 4.9% (2/41, II: 2 [1 boy, 1 girl]), group D (arrhythmia): 6.7% (1/15, I: 1 boy). Three patients in group B had transient myocardial damage, which was thought to be related to abnormal myocardial long-chain fatty acid metabolism.
Conclusion: The frequency of CD36 deficiency in childhood heart disease was almost identical to that of healthy individuals. Some patients with CD36 deficiency may be susceptible to myocardial damage in the presence of disadvantageous conditions, such as serious infections or massive steroid therapy.